Hands On with 'Halo 4 Multiplayer' at E3

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Master Chief will be making his long-awaited return to the sci-fi
"Halo" series on Nov. 6, when the fourth chapter, "Halo 4," hits
stores.

Fans everywhere have been waiting to see how the saga continues
with a new developer, 343 Industries, taking over for the
previous team, Bungie.

While we weren’t able to see how single-player option was shaping
up just yet, we did get some hands-on time with the competitive
side of the game playing the new co-op and multiplayer options.

For co-op, 343 is introducing a new Spartan Ops episodic series,
one that will be free to access for those with an Xbox Live Gold
account, available for download through the system’s marketplace.
These are short but fulfilling cooperative missions, in which
your team works together to complete objectives, such as
retrieving an important artifact or wiping out Covenant alien
enemies. These are backed by a CG storyline sequence that
explains what’s happening in that part of the universe, so you
don’t feel lost.

As for the competitive multiplayer option, "Halo 4" has
introduced a series of varied maps that fans will become
accommodated to rather quickly. They’re different in size, and we
saw two of them during a recent hands-on session, including the
immense Adrift, featuring multiple walkways on a deep space
freighter, and the smaller Haven, where the hallways are much
more cramped, providing better opportunities for battle.[ 'God
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For those concerned with how 343 would do with the controls,
we’re happy to report that "Halo 4" feels just as good as
previous entries in the series. These soldiers can still shoot,
hurl grenades and smack someone with the butt of their rifle like
a champ, while also maneuvering around and picking up bonus
items. Completing certain goals within the multiplayer option
also unlocks a secondary reward, such as a speed boost or extra
grenades to hurl at the opposing team. [ Carnage
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The game strongly supports Xbox Live, enabling players to track
their statistics and see how they perform as a team with fellow
soldiers in battle. The competition is fierce, but certainly
welcome, especially when you’ve got a score to settle against a
friend who beat you the previous time. You’re actually awarded
points for a "revenge kill," as they call it. [ Gritty
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"Halo 4" also looks fantastic. Between the co-op mission and the
two map packs, there is plenty of diverse design here, while each
locale also feels true as a whole to the "Halo" universe. Who
could ask for anything more?

When " Halo 4 " hits
stores in November for $60, we’ll see if Master Chief and his
friends can live up to the legacy. But so far, so good.